This report is an attempt to help measure the justice gap – the difference between civil legal needs of low-income Americans and their financial ability to meet those needs in 2017. Approximately 2,000 low-income adults were surveyed.

Some of the findings in the report:

“In the past year, 86% of the civil legal problems reported by low-income Americans received inadequate or no legal help

71% of low-income households experienced at least one civil legal problem in the last year, including problems with health care, housing conditions, disability access, veterans’ benefits, and domestic violence

In 2017, low-income Americans will approach LSC-funded legal aid organizations for support with an estimated 1.7 million problems. They will receive only limited or no legal help for more than half of these problems due to a lack of resources